Labyrinth
by fruttitutti
Summary: Slight AU/SasuSaku/ItaSaku. Sasuke appears to be dead, and Sakura means to save him...even if it means gaining the Sharingan, even if it means losing her sanity...   Chapter 3: Naruto confronts Sakura, and in their battle, they come to another promise.
1. Insanity

**New story! World up to chapter 350, ignores development from then…yep, I'm still obsessed with the old story.**

**S****ynopsis****: When the news ("Uchiha Sasuke is dead") reaches Konoha, Sakura loses herself to insanity. She vows to save him, at any cost - to chase power, and leave everything behind. Dark/****Slight AU/SasuSaku/ItaSaku.  
Naruto - Rated: T (Violence & Language) - English - Suspense/Romance - Sakura H. & Sasuke U. & Itachi U. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its storyline, or characters. However, this fanfiction is based on Naruto, and is my creation. **

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**Labyrinth**

_**Chapter 1: Insanity**_

_**

* * *

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"Sakura…"

Worried emerald eyes sought, and found, the source of the voice. Broken eyes, those shattered and gleaming chips of sapphire, met her own. A broken voice, too, issued to tell her the news:

"Sasuke…is dead."

...

If you asked anyone in Konoha who Haruno Sakura was, they would turn their faces away. If they spoke, they might recall a bright youth full of potential, a girl with intelligence and drive. If they spoke, they might bitterly tell you of her love for Uchiha Sasuke; how it charmed them and renewed hope in the innocence of life, and then darkened it once more. If they spoke, they might tell you that she is long gone, and it's true – depending on your view of it. They will speak no more, and of that, you are left to find for yourself_._

...

_The Day Before the End_

_...  
_

Sakura wiped the perspiration of her forehead as Tsunade-hime clapped her on the back.

"Well done!" her mentor breathed with exhaustion and pride. "I promise you, I have nothing left for you to learn!"

"Thank you, shishou," Sakura dropped her head in the most respectful bow she could muster. At last, she had learned the Godaime Hokage's final technique, and after years and years of training! From simple endurance training to the earth-shattering taijutsu, from the most basic healing palm to the Creation Rebirth – and at last, at sixteen years of age, Sakura had reached her mentor.

She could finally allow herself a breath of pride. From the outset, she had no outstanding abilities or physical prowess, a familial technique to boast of – only her intelligence and days to weeks to months – and years! of practice, building up to experience; and those alone. And after the shame of struggling after her friends for so long, she could not protect them as well.

"I'd say when the jounin exams come along, you'll be well-prepared," Tsunade gave a lazy smile. "But that's out of my jurisdiction. Now, run along, you have Databook Examinations to attend later this evening."

Her best student ran a self-conscious hand through her vibrant but messed hair. "Oh, yeah…" Sakura muttered sheepishly.

"Get going then!" Tsunade laughed, and Sakura was out the door and walking through the busy morning streets of Konoha.

The sky was pale and the air was cool, but the ninja village was stirring with activity – a day just like any other day. Sakura couldn't contain her joy, passing by fellow shinobi with an irrepressible smile. The Databook Examination, which ninjas either feared or were all too eager to go for, was the annual recording of an individual's skills and aptitude. She remembered too well the days where she dreaded these. When she was weak, but too frustrated to try to train, when she would stare shamefully at her feet when her name was called. But now, the accurate statistics would reflect what she was now: a true Konoha shinobi.

As she neared her apartment to prepare for the exams, she couldn't resist allowing herself a forbidden thought about _him._

_Sasuke…I'm not so weak now…I've gotten so very far, and I'm strong enough to bring you back to Konoha! _

Little did she know that that the next day would crush her hopes, and grind them under fate's heel until they were dust.

...

_that afternoon_

_...  
_

Naruto bounded out of the Examination hall with a grin, and into Sakura's arms.

"What'd you get?" she exhaled breathlessly.

"Awesome," was his beaming reply, ignoring other logical answers. He tossed her the ornate scroll with the score, and she intently pored over it.

"A 45!" she squealed. "Naruto…you're only sixteen!"

He shrugged, but his own joy and pride weren't lost. "I could've done better. What about you, Sakura-chan?"

She wordlessly handed him her own scroll. It read:

* * *

"Databook Examination: Haruno Sakura, Fire Elemental

Ninjutsu: 4  
Taijutsu: 5  
Genjutsu: 4  
Intelligence: 5 (Naruto showed her his 3.5 and she face-palmed)  
Strength: 5  
Speed: 4  
Stamina: 4  
Hand seals: 4  
Weaponry: 3 (Sakura grimaced)  
Chakra Control: 5

Total: 43 out of 50"

* * *

Naruto whooped, and Sakura caught the flying scroll as he let go, laughing as she fell into a hug.

She caught Ino's playful glare – she held up three and then six fingers for Sakura to see – and gave a grin, which her old friend returned.

"Congrats, Idiot and Ugly," Sai fell in with his comrades and put his elbow on her shoulder, but she didn't protest as usual.

"You, Sai-kun?"

"You beat me, Ugly," he admitted a humorous grimace. It always surprised but enjoyed Sakura to see his emotional development. "I got a 40." He sighed, and then, "But you can have your skills, at least I am _beautiful._" He demonstrated with a model's pose, earning a well-aimed punch in the solar plexus.

"So," Sakura said brightly, turning to Naruto. "Let's eat out to celebrate!"

"Ramen!"

"No!" Punch.

The three struggled out of the Exam hall and into the sunset, but they were soon approached by the Godaime Hokage. Her face was grave, but she attempted a wan smile for her favorite teenagers in Konoha.

"Firstly," she interrupted Naruto's cheerful greeting, "Congratulations, I received the scores. The three of you have done very well. Secondly…" Tsunade trailed off and looked at the dying sunlight.

"Shishou…? What's wrong?" Sakura asked tentatively.

"Earlier this afternoon, there was a coupe involving the village of Sound…and Sasuke. As you know, we are nearing the time of Orochimaru's body transfer. Today, Orochimaru has unexpectedly taken the initiative."

Sakura's intake of breath fell sharply in the murmur of the settling village. She faltered, "It's…too soon," echoed by Naruto, who unconsciously gripped her hand for mutual strength. Sai kindly did the same for the other.

"I know…I know." Tsunade laid her hands on their shoulders. "There were explosions and the village appears to be ruined. Our spies only found so much; we can only wait for details tomorrow."

Their unsaid fears numbered from political to emotional, but their collective presence was nearly tangible. Finally, the Godaime Hokage detached herself and told the three to rest. As she walked away, Sakura could only murmur, "It's going to be all right…"

No one, even she, was convinced by the hopeful deception.

...

_Early morning; the End_

_...  
_

Sakura was out of bed before the sun rose, skimming the skyline of Konoha in quiet jumps to Tsunade's office. She hadn't slept very well – Sasuke and his wellbeing had taken over her mind with more presence than she had ever allowed in the past two and a half years. Naruto and Sai were already waiting for her there, quiet nods traded for greeting. Together, they knocked on Tsunade's door.

The Godaime Hokage greeted them promptly with shadows under her eyes and marked weariness.

"The spies reported an hour ago," she said softly. "There isn't a lot of good news. The village of Sound has been obliterated, and Orochimaru and Sasuke are nowhere to be seen."

She gestured for the three of them to sit and set out cups of tea; Sakura noticed that there was no sake to be seen.

"The first team of spies are resting now, I've just sent the second to Sound."

"Where are Kakashi-sensei and Yamato-sensei?" Sai finally asked.

"They requested to be a part of the investigation," Tsunade said grimly. "I couldn't refuse them. They're on their way to Sound as we speak."

Naruto shot up. "Let me go, too!"

"I can't allow that." The hokage responded firmly. "Naruto, we can't let you anywhere near Sound!"

Sai grabbed Naruto's shoulder and sat him down. "It's stupid to try to find Sasuke now."

"He might be okay," Sakura offered, though her heart too demanded to participate in the search.

Naruto turned away and was about to retort when a knock sounded on the door.

"Enter," Tsunade allowed, and Danzo entered. He gave a curt nod to Sai, who immediately stood to join his side.

"Hokage-sama, I request a meeting of the council about this…unrest." His lips quirked, as if amused. Sakura and Naruto stared, wondering about what he found uplifting in the situation.

"Good. I was about to announce one myself," she said calmly. "Naruto, Sakura, I order you to return to your homes and _rest. _Wait for my further word."

The two wordlessly brushed past Danzo, Sakura giving a questioning look toward Sai. He gave a slight shake of the head, his eyes not meeting hers.

Naruto and Sakura found themselves at the torii bridge where Team 7 had trained, eons ago.

"I don't know what I'll do…if teme is…dead…" Naruto admitted. He was sitting on the bridge, feet dangling, sapphire eyes staring into the slow river.

"I know, Naruto, I know…" Sakura sighed. "Yesterday, things seemed almost perfect. Like we were ready to bring him back, and things would go back to normal."

"Team 7," Naruto agreed.

Sakura leaned to rest her face on his shoulder, eyes burning with unshed tears. And they remained like this for the rest of the afternoon until the summons came.

_..._

_Night, the End_

_...  
_

Naruto was racing ahead, almost out of sight. Sakura jumped after, crying "Wait!" still, her friend disappeared out of sight. Sakura realized that he had bravely suppressed a lot of anger, but that was control was lost. She skidded to a stop in front of the office and launched up the walls, hopping breathlessly over the stairs and in front of Tsunade's door minutes later. Her heart pounded with fear as she anticipated what the news would bring.

_Sasuke-kun...you can't be dead...!_ Sakura slowly approached the room.

The entrance was slightly ajar, and a choking sound was emitting from within. Kakashi and Yamato were leaning against the office wall, seemingly exhausted and infinitely older. Sai refused to meet her eyes as he stood stiffly besides Danzo, whose expression was unreadable. Tsunade's eyes raised to meet hers, then sadly turned away to look at the hunched form of Naruto.

The kunoichi approached her friend, and the obscured figure he was kneeling in front of.

"Naruto…?" she asked tentatively.

"Sakura…"

Worried emerald eyes sought, and found, the source of the voice. Broken eyes, those shattered and gleaming chips of sapphire, met her own. A broken voice, too, issued to tell her the news:

"Sasuke…is dead."

And there, on the floor surrounded by the reunited Team 7, was the lifeless body of Uchiha Sasuke_._

_..._

"What is insanity, anyway?

Is it when you scream and everyone else whispers,

Or is it when you fight for what's right,

even when everyone else think you are wrong?"

-Unknown

_...  
_

"Council is now in session." Tsunade's voice rang throughout the cold antechamber. The circular room had her at its head, Sasuke's blanketed body on a stone table a few feet from her. Team 7 sat as witnesses nearby, while the council men and women had taken their rank places on the marble benches along the walls.

"I apologize for the lateness," she said curtly. "However, this crisis must be attended to. Hatake Kakashi will now relay what he discovered during the investigation."

Sakura was still in shock, trembling as her eyes darted from the strange body just a few steps away, and to her weary sensei. A small voice whispered at the back of her head: _It's not him, it's a lie, they're lying to you, don't believe it, he's alive he's alive he'salivelivelive…_

She clenched her fists in her medic's skirt, which had a strange smear of blood. She must've cut herself in the forest in her sprint to the office…

"Yamato and I, as you know, traveled to the source of the previous day's explosions," Kakashi began at the podium. "The village of Sound. It was ruined, and desolate of life. There were many bodies, of both captives and ninja. There were no traces of foreign invasion, so we conclude that there was internal unrest."

_Ruins! _Screamed the voice in Sakura's mind. She shut her eyes tightly. _What the hell's wrong with me?_

"At the heart of the destruction, Orochimaru's body," he gestured at another wrapped figure that Sakura had not even noticed. "Was found."

Murmurs filled the hall. Danzo demanded for its unveiling, and Kakashi grimly complied – Sakura heard shocked whispers and gasps resounding throughout, but she felt too sick to look.

_Dead dead Orochimaru's dead they've got it all WRONG Sasuke's alive, he won he's alive, he's stronger than this_

Naruto rested a hand on her shoulder, but Sakura found herself inexplicably wresting away from his touch. "Don't touch me!" she whispered harshly, avoiding his hurt eyes.

"And nearby was Uchiha Sasuke's body." A hush fell upon the council.

_It's not his not him. _Sakura's fingernails had cut crescents into her palm.

"We have brought back both bodies. We will return to Sound tomorrow and report further." Kakashi bowed to the silent crowd. "That is it."

Tsunade replaced him at the podium. "We will meet again, tomorrow. Council is dismiss-"

Sakura stared as a katana suddenly protruded from her mentor's shoulder.

"Tch, too high," she barely caught Danzo's muttered complaint as his figure was finally registered in her vision. The silence was pierced by a scream from a council woman. Naruto was up, but suddenly, three Root shinobi were pinning him down – and Sakura too.

When she recovered her senses and threw them off, she caught a glimpse of Tsunade, hunched over the podium with her eyes squeezed shut. Kakashi, Yamato, Sai, and Naruto were nowhere to be seen.

"Shishou!" she screamed, scrambling over the bodies of council members and punching Root shinobi away as she ran towards Tsunade. The Godaime Hokage weakly raised her head.

"Sakura…run…"

Sakura instead grappled with her mentor, slinging a bloody arm over her shoulder.

"We have to get you out!" The hokage's weak protests fell on deaf ears as Sakura determinedly struggled to exit the chamber.

Then she her eyes fell upon Danzo standing over Sasuke's body, and her vision flashed crimson.

Anger and utter hatred filled her heart.

"Get away from him!" she screamed – then the hokage's body was suddenly lifted from her shoulders.

"Wha –" Sakura whirled around and saw Sai coldly throw Tsunade to the floor. His expression was blank, as if he had been hypnotized.

"Good, Sai, now take care of the girl," Danzo ordered carelessly. He lifted the blanket from Sasuke's face and smiled in delight.

"Sai! What are you doing?" Sakura screamed as she evaded a near slice from the Root shinobi's drawn blade. Her mind raced with possibilities, landing on betrayal. Anger took over reason, and she landed a heavy punch on his collarbone. Her old friend slammed into the wall and slumped over, unconscious. Root members surrounded her – Sakura and a few council members were the only moving targets. One feinted an attack as another swept his leg under her feet; she slid out of reach in the nick of time and counterattacked. Two down. Reason took over her adrenaline-rushed mind as she surveyed her replaced attackers and the rest of the chamber. Tsunade was out cold and out of reach, but a few council members were attempting to heal her. The remainders had circled around the healers and the hokage, fending off Root members, to Sakura's utter gratitude. But Danzo…

The very man, calmly ignoring his chaotic surroundings, had opened a scroll and was now glancing to and fro, occasionally at the lifeless body before him.

With calculated skill, Sakura knocked her surrounding enemies unconscious, breaking a sweat to keep them alive for interrogation. Panting, she whirled to face the perpetrator. He had finally glanced up and noticed her evident success, with obvious annoyance. Her eyes shot towards his hand, incriminatingly near Sasuke's closed eyelids.

"You filthy traitor," Sakura hissed as she approached. In the back of her mind, reason was screaming for her to escape – she could fight Root members, but one of Konoha's most experienced and dangerous shinobi? She could run, get reinforcements – but there was this.

Sasuke was _dead_.

She couldn't save him now, but for all of her love, blind and one-sided and foolish, she could not allow his body to be desecrated.

In an almost detached manner, Sakura reached for her gloves and slid them on, keeping her eyes constantly trained on Danzo's impassive face. He too, readied for a skirmish and distanced himself from the valuable Sharingan holder. He had discarded bandages from his arms, revealing a horrific collection of Sharingan eyes, but Sakura felt that nothing could shock her now. Only cool rage collected as she settled into stance.

In a split second, Sakura had lunged at him with a chakra-packed fist and he had thrown a marble bench – she instantly pulverized it, but he appeared behind the dust with the bloodied katana. She escaped with a shallow cut on her shoulder.

"You realize you can't win, girl," he rasped. "Nothing you can do will surpass my Sharingan."

That didn't stop the kunoichi from rebounding off the chamber wall with a forceful kick; the momentum and his one-eyed lack of depth perception allowing her to grab his arm and throw him up. She leapt and followed through with an aerial blow to his stomach, and Danzo crashed into the floor. Sakura backed off warily, she hadn't gauged how sleep-deprived and mentally exhausted she was. The strange voice was still whispering in the back of her mind, uttering vengeances and sobbing for her lost comrades. It was also screaming for Danzo's death, forcing Sakura's adrenaline and heighted emotions to intensify.

She clutched her head in panic as the shinobi rose, cursing as he was forced to remove the bandage around his eye to recover full vision.

"You're wasting my time and energy," he spat. "Come, let's get this over with, Tsunade's brat."

He launched on the offensive, and Sakura evaded. Each near blow rang in her ears, multiplying the sibilant whispers in her head.

In frustration, she lashed out. A foolish move, as she was caught midair and impaled on the wall behind with his katana. The blade slid through her side and her breath hitched painfully. Paralyzed for the moment, Sakura could only watch as Danzo approached. He carelessly palmed the katana's hilt, and Sakura gritted her teeth as the blade moved deeper. She recklessly leaned forward and spat in the tyrant's face. His expression contorted from gloating to wrath, and he slapped her with his gauntleted palm. She took the moment to wrench out the katana and bring up her knee, catching him by surprise in the gut.

He doubled over, and Sakura flipped the katana deftly in her hands.

"A 3 in weaponry indeed," she hissed as stabbed him above the heart as he did to the hokage. She pulled the sword away as he dropped like a stone. The victorious kunoichi wearily stumbled away to rest an arm on the wall, pressing the other hand against her vicious stab wound. Flickers of emerald chakra sparked to life and the wound slowly began to knit together.

She tensed as she felt a hand grasp her ankle in a vice-like grip. Her enemy wasn't quite done yet.

Then the insanity whispered in her mind: _Why don't you kill him? _Sakura froze; she had killed only twice before on S-rank missions, and the experiences were distasteful. And never had she thought of slaying a fellow shinobi of Konoha…but the insanity fed her another inspiration. It seized her, and without further thought she gently knelt by Danzo to heal him too.

A manic grin spread on her face.

As she sent healing chakra through his body, she slowly pressured the back of his neck with her palm. Confusion registered in his eyes, but he was paralyzed – Sakura had used the Ranshinshō that the Godaime Hokage used on Kabuto to disable the mental connections over bodily control. She stepped back to survey her handiwork.

"I want you to be alive to experience this," she murmured with an eerily kind voice. She was about to kneel when a quavering voice inquired, "Haruno-san?"

Her head snapped to the source, a shuddering council man. She surveyed the small party behind him, and was coldly pleased to see that Tsunade was stabilized, albeit unconscious.

"Get out." She snapped. "Leave the hokage and let me take care of this."

"But –"

"Get out!"

The assembly stumbled out of the bloodied chamber and Sakura repaid her attention to Danzo. The seed the insanity had planted in her mind blossomed as she knelt.

"Creation Rebir-" Sakura began, then stopped – her lips curved in an almost-smile. "No," she said calmly. "Not really…it's a rejection of creation, isn't it?"

She placed her palms on Danzo, and nudged his chakra with hers so that his would be spent in the jutsu's doing. Her part would be entirely effortless, she would be the overseer of his agony…

Danzo screamed as his wounds healed…but as his Sharingan eyes finally acknowledged his foreign body and rejected his presence. They popped from the artificial sockets, leaving scarred skin that was healing over from Sakura's influence.

When she was done, his body was whole again, and bereft of the Uchiha's stolen power. Sakura saw that the pain had overloaded his mind, and he was barely alive. He would remain a blithering fool for the rest of his life, the medic-nin was certain.

She left his body on the floor and gently approached her mentor's. Tsunade was breathing lightly. Her student tsked over the patched stab wound and furthered the amateur healing. Her patient's eyes fluttered open.

"…Sakura…?" The faint blue eyes registered Sakura's presence with a faint look of worry. A trembling hand reached to wipe an unnoticed smear of blood off of Sakura's face.

"Shh…" Sakura murmured reassuringly. "Everything's all right, shishou."

"I'm glad…Is everyone safe?"

At this point, only Sakura's humanity kept her staying for Tsunade. The whispers were urging her to leave Konoha…

"I'm leaving, shishou," Sakura touched her mentor's temple with a negligible chakra signal, and the hokage was instantly in a restful sleep.

She stood again and walked slowly to Sasuke's side, swaying slightly from exhaustion.

She surveyed him for a long moment, burning the image into memory. His dark, longer hair framing his pale face, lavender shadows under closed eyes and dark lashes. Pale and slightly bloodied lips. A tired expression, but more peaceful than she had ever seen. On a whim, Sakura pressed her ear to his heart, and found no rhythm.

She tiredly pressed her lips to his forehead. She said goodbye.

Then she allowed the Insanity to overtake her bitter and broken heart.

"Sasuke-kun…" her breath fell lightly, giddily. "I'll find you again, I promise. I'll come back…" for her cold intellect knew that Konoha would preserve the Uchiha heir's body despite his betrayal…

"And I'll save you."

She kissed his brow again, and wedded this promise to her heart.

She then left the chamber, her insanity prompting her to gently take two of the Sharingan eyes left on the spattered floor.

...

By midnight, she had swept through the abandoned Hokage's office and taken forbidden scrolls and records. She would learn all there was to know about the Uchiha clan, and any skill concerning resurrection.

By dawn, she had unhesitatingly dragged a kunai against her Konoha head-protector and tucked it in under her opened collar. She stood on the gate of the grave village, eyes staring into the rising sun.

They were emerald, and a spark of insanity danced in the center of both eyes. They were emerald, and ringed with the Sharingan insignia in gold.

She calmly surveyed the horizons. She slowly stepped on the last boundary to break, between Konoha, herself, and the world.

And Sakura leapt.

...

_"I would reach beyond death - to take your hand - __"_

_Dawn, the First Day  
_

_...  
_

_To be continued..._

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**Lengthy first chapter! xD I hope you guys enjoy this new story…rated for violence, but I hope that doesn't deter you too much from the story line.**

**Sakura begins her quest to revive Sasuke…insane and in love, now a missing-nin with the Uchiha's Sharingan. **

**Will contain SasuSaku and ItaSaku in the future. How is Sasuke romantically involved when he's dead? You'll have to find out xD Next chapter will contain explanations for the rest of Konoha during Sakura's absence.**


	2. Drifting

**2****nd**** Chapter :) Again, this story will be slightly AU from the manga!**

**S****ynopsis****: When the news ("Uchiha Sasuke is dead") reaches Konoha, Sakura loses herself to insanity. She vows to save him, at any cost - to chase power, and leave everything behind. Dark/****Slight AU/SasuSaku/ItaSaku.  
Naruto - Rated: T (Violence & Language) - English - Suspense/Romance - Sakura H. & Sasuke U. & Itachi U. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its storyline, or characters. However, this fanfiction is based on Naruto, and is my creation. **

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**Labyrinth**

_**Chapter 2: Drifting**_

_By midnight, she had swept through the abandoned Hokage's office and taken forbidden scrolls and records. She would learn all there was to know about the Uchiha clan, and any skill concerning resurrection._

_By dawn, she had unhesitatingly dragged a kunai against her Konoha head-protector and tucked it in under her opened collar. She stood on the gate of the grave village, eyes staring into the rising sun._

_They were emerald, and a spark of insanity danced in the center of both eyes. They were emerald, and ringed with the Sharingan insignia in gold._

_She calmly surveyed the horizons. She slowly stepped on the last boundary to break, between Konoha, herself, and the world._

_And Sakura leapt._

_

* * *

...  
_

_Day 2, Konoha_

_...  
_

Hatake Kakashi sighed morosely, staring at the pale midday sun. The chaos of the last night had shaken Konoha's foundations – Danzo's betrayal, the attempted assassination of Tsunade and later, Naruto…Danzo's blithering and lifeless state, then Sakura's disappearance…

…and all before that, Uchiha Sasuke's death.

Team 7 was crumbling, and Konoha with it.

It had taken all of his being to pull together and command Konoha's council members and fellow jounins to cooperate. While the Godaime Hokage reposed under Shizune's care, the shinobi forces had to clean the council chamber of last night's bloody massacre. Root members, victims, and the living injured were respectively buried or treated. Root head quarters were forcefully breached and records taken; they discovered that Danzo had planned a coupe for years and used mind-altering substances to coax his unwilling elites to cooperate.

Sai was a mess recovering from his drugged state, and a broken collarbone and slight concussion (Sakura's defensive doing). But foremost, the young man was a wreck of internal guilt.

"I should have known," he apologized constantly to Kakashi and Yamato, "I attacked Tsunade-sama and Sakura…"

The two of them wearily calmed him down; were they not as guilty? They had foolishly fallen into Root's trap, and Kakashi, who had immediately moved to guard Naruto (as the Kyuubi's holder, having promised Minato), accidentally brought him along in the enemy's transportation jutsu. The three of them ended up trapped in a heavily sealed Root prison, breaking out in three lengthy hours later.

By then, Danzo was found in that shocking state in the antechamber, a stabilized but unconscious Tsunade nearby, and Sasuke's body undisturbed. As for the Sharingan eyes…Kakashi shuddered. That was another secret of Danzo's to investigate, and it would inevitably dredge up another series of Uchiha red tape. The precious eyes were deposited and sealed away in Tsunade's biomedical vault, and the purging continued. Finally, Naruto pointed out that Sakura was missing.

Hours passed without her return, and Tsunade's record-keeper revealed that forbidden scrolls and Uchiha documents were missing. Konoha's public may not have suspected, but the survivors of Team 7 knew. Sakura was gone, and in three days, guilty of theft or not – she would be declared a missing-nin.

Kakashi was sick with worry for his student – but there was no time to search, and there was the village to put first. The citizens to reassure and every hint of corruption to investigate; Konoha was also susceptible at enemy attack at every instant as forces were depleted in that sudden civil war. And already the event was being dubbed Danzo's Massacre…

...

_Sakura_

_...  
_

She had the Sharingan.

And she didn't know whether to be scared. But she was quite _mad, _which in several books, can equate fearlessness…

Insanity seemed like a seed, fast and eager to grow, penetrating and deep-rooting – shutting out the _real Sakura _just like Sasuke shut out her love. Sakura wondered – what would he say, seeing her with _eyes _like his_, _the _power _like his? But Sasuke was dead – dead and gone, as the saying goes~

Insanity and whim led Sakura's racing leaps over treetops from dawn to day. Both exhilarated and bored by her journey, the quickly-adapting medic-nin experimented with her new found powers. It only took a thought for an electrical impulse to direct chakra to her eyes, triggering the Sharingan. With it on, the forest she traveled through blazed with chakra life and her other senses were heightened. Kakashi-sensei had been right, it was _almost _like being able to predict the future – every movement of a startled animal or falling leaf was registered by her eyes before the rest of her body actually perceived it.

It was wonderful.

But about Sakura's destination. Could she find anything useful in Fire Country? Or would she have to travel farther, to bring her dear Sasuke-kun from the depths? For now, _insane _her didn't care. The only thing _she _had allowed Sakura to do was to prepare the necessities.

Slung around shoulder to opposite hip was her scroll purse, but it contained only a single scroll. A highly valuable gift from Tsunade, behind its illusory paper surface was a dimension that could carry a few hundred more scrolls and a month's supplies for survival. To her medic's store and coin purse within, _she_ had gleefully added Konoha's stolen records.

At her back, she carried only her tantō and medic pouch. To any other shinobi renegade, Sakura at first glance would have been considered underprepared and easy prey.

But even insane, Sakura is never ill-equipped, and is always dangerous.

The missing-nin giggled aloud on her journey to nowhere. She had, of course, studied cases of insanity, and there were deeply intelligent but criminally insane shinobi who had identified their own conditions. Insanity was no longer a medical judgment, but a broad diagnosis encompassing disorders like schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, psychosis, and severe manic depression.

Sakura tilted her head in bored thought, wondering what she would be labeled – at home, by fellow missing-nin, in the bingo book. Diagnosing oneself was a very funny thing, she decided.

By then, she had cleared perhaps eighteen miles of forest and crossed small rivers since leaving Konoha. At sunset, the stretch of wilderness thinned out into farm fields, and she spotted a small village on the horizon. Fortunate, for she was reluctant to open her own dry rations so early on.

Half a mile away, Sakura pulled on her favorite transformations like a second skin. She entered the village with her hair and eyes a nondescript brown, a shorter and less muscular physique, and with civilian clothing on. Anything hinting at her ninja identity was safely stored in the scroll and purse, which was conveniently ordinary in appearance.

There were no guards, and no chakra presences detected, so Sakura relaxed. The villagers didn't give her a second glance as she weaved in and out of the sparse market crowd with an apathetic expression. She slipped into an inn and seated herself for dinner, praying that they would accept Fire Country currency. She would have to get it exchanged later at the border.

Seeing the meal brought the realization that she hadn't eaten in two days; and her stomach was complaining loudly. Sakura ate ravenously and paid (her coins accepted) before slipping upstairs and into her room. She ascertained her privacy with intense scrutiny before turning to the small mirror above the fireplace. Liquid gold blazed in her viridian eyes before lazily spinning into the Sharingan insignia. The three tomoes looked like sakura petals, a fitting image that her insane facet vainly admired. Her eyes were mesmerizing.

Finally, Sakura turned from her reflection and surrendered to the beckon of the comfortable bed. Sighing in comfort, her mind relented to reflect on her leaving.

Her rational side, buried deep within, missed Konoha with intense homesickness. Concern and guilt ran like a dark underground river beneath her conscience. What would Tsunade-shishou, Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and Sai think? They would worry about her…For the first time all day, indecision and doubt of her own choices arose.

However, the _insane her _was relishing it. The freedom of traversing the world without the need of permit, being a free agent without the attachments of country and alliance and name – this was a life Sakura never experienced.

And the insane her was stronger, quiet Sakura admitted, it felt too good to be without conscience. Being a missing-nin was _liberating_.

A smirk spread her lips as she leaned into the bed. She should spend the last hour studying the Sharingan, shouldn't she? The lazy thought led her to pick up her purse and retrieve the vault scroll. She withdrew several Uchiha Clan scrolls randomly and propped them in her lap.

The first of the arbitrary scrolls was a chronicle of the impressively long family tree, dating back to the first Ninja War Era. Sakura stared at the kanji inscribing Uchiha Sasuke's name at the near bottom, only overtaken by younger cousins. She set aside the genealogy for later and sifted through the rest of the scrolls, almost passing over a Mission History report before a name caught her eye. Mission reports were dreadfully boring, meticulously detailed files that were sent to the Hokage's office and sorted by last name. Of course, the Uchiha Clan's cabinet at HQ was extensive, and Sakura had taken the whole thing.

This particular report had Itachi's name on the seal.

The murderer of the Uchiha Clan, Sakura mused. Sasuke-kun wants – wanted wanted? – to kill him…I do wonder if Itachi was insane when he massacred his own family…

Curious about this mysterious blight on Konoha's history, the missing-nin delved into the report of her fellow renegade. Sifting through the D-rank through B-rank catalogue with mounting boredom, she reached the final page, a single S-rank. It read:

"On the order of the Konoha Council and approved by Danzō Shimura:

_Uchiha Itachi _is given this _S-rank _mission as an ANBU member. _Uchiha Itachi _is to report to the council all of the Uchiha Clan activities, civilian and shinobi, and act as double agent for both parties until further noticed."

Sakura's eyes widened. She skimmed the detailed mission statement rapidly, shock mounting as the letter closed with a final order:

"Should suspicions of treason be confirmed, Uchiha Itachi is to take the responsibility of assassinating all involved and eliminate all evidence; the Uchiha Clan."

She leaned back, slowly closing the scroll in astonishment. Part of her mourned for the waste, of both then-child genius and his clan, and part of her was pitiless, with contempt directed towards his compliance. It almost disappointed her that he _wasn't _insane, wouldn't it be nice to have a fellow, psychotic criminal?

Now _that _was a thought. Sakura shot up with a brilliant smile. She didn't have a particular reason – again, who needed a reason when they're insane? – but she now had a destination.

She would find Uchiha Itachi.

...

"Insanity is often the logic of an accurate mind overtaxed"

Oliver Wendell Holmes

...

_Warm darkness enveloped her as she sunk into subconsciousness. But in the dark, she was more aware herself than ever before. She felt the Insanity, like dark creeping waters edging on the shore of her mind. She dreaded and welcomed it. She felt Vanity smiling at her a short distance away, and Power standing at the edge of the water with a beckoning hand. _

_There was Love, already standing waist-deep in the depths, wild-eyed and hopeful. Her lips were moving, and Sakura read, 'Sasuke-kun.'_

_And there was Herself, a dim light hidden in the hands she found clasped to her chest. Her eyes squeezed tight; no, she didn't want to leave this place. It hurt to have a conscience._

_Then there was a faint ringing of bells. The lifeless shore disappeared, replaced by a peaceful clearing. Sunlight streamed down, lighting on mysterious shadows and gilding the forestry with gold. Sakura stared, both surprised and expectant._

_There, a few yards away, stood Uchiha Itachi. He didn't intimidate her, and despite his bloodstained Akatsuki attire, she found herself relaxing._

_He asked simply: "How did you find the truth?"_

"_I ran away from Konoha," she said with equal calm. "And I took all of the council's secrets with me." Quiet fell comfortably, until she prompted with nonchalance, "And how did you know?"_

"_The seal on that scroll," he responded with a glint of amusement in his eyes. "The council let me settle my own recorded matters before I completed my final mission. The seal would allow me to trace the next reader."_

"_Why did you do it?" Why did you kill your family…_

_He brushed off the question and asked one of his own._

"_Why did you run?"_

"_To find Sasuke."_

_His laughter was short and ironic. "You won't find him."_

"_I'll hunt you down."_

_He laughed again. "I see the insanity in your eyes."_

_His mirth faded. "I had it too."_

_She remained silent, staring at him._

"_You have the Sharingan," he said suddenly. He smiled, mysteriously, suddenly._

_Then it was gone, -did she imagine it- and he invited offhandedly,_

"_Come find me at Amegakure."_

_And then he was gone._

_The clearing faded…and the warm darkness enveloped her once again._

_...  
_

_Day 3, Konoha_

_...  
_

"I need to find Sakura-chan!" Naruto yelled in frustration and battered at Yamato's wooden prison.

"Calm down, Naruto," the laconic voice drifted from outside. "The Akatsuki are on the move. We can't let you go, and Konoha needs you."

The jinchuuriki fiercely wiped his arm against his burning eyes. "You don't know her, Yamato-sensei! Sasuke-kun's dead! She loved him! She's probably out there, depressed and alone…!"

Sai crouched in front of the prison, drawing absent-mindedly in the dirt. He too was worried for Sakura, but didn't know how to express it. Should he shout, like Naruto? Or wisely try to wait as Yamato-sensei was doing? The ex-Root member was torn.

Meanwhile, Tsunade-hime had gotten back on her feet and assessed the situation, taking charge again. Danzo was incarcerated until further light was shed, and plans were being made for a bloodless autopsy of the Uchiha's body. Konoha was also recovering and the faithful interrogation teams had thoroughly searched Root headquarters. Jigyaku no Jutsu was utilized on the remaining Root members, drawing up last dredges of information, and revealing that only Danzo's closest associates had agreed to anything. They were being tried and sentenced at the moment; Naruto using the stabilization as an excuse to find Sakura and ending up in his imprisoned predicament.

Yamato was about to respond to Naruto's emotionally-charged and mostly accurate claim, when a messenger appeared before them.

"Message from the hokage," the agent intoned.

Naruto, overhearing, eagerly pressed his ear to a wooden wall and Yamato allowed a small window.

"Go ahead."

"The Akatsuki are apparently moving to rendezvous at the ruins of Sound for their own investigation of events. Her orders: assemble a four man team to find and rescue Haruno Sakura before they cross roads. _Do not _release Uzumaki Naruto, however."

The messenger bowed. "That is all."

Yamato quickly closed the window just as the structure shook from Naruto's outraged punch.

"Thank you. Please tell her that I will do so immediately." The messenger nodded and disappeared.

Team 7's co-trainer pressed his words through the dense prison, "You heard what she said. I can't let you take part in this. I'm sorry, Naruto-kun."

Sai stood up. "Let me go, sensei."

Yamato observed him for a long moment. "You should watch after Naruto-kun."

"I have to do this. Please."

"…Fine. Come with me."

When the two had left, Naruto gave a grim smile. The minute Yamato had opened a window, he performed a body switch with a shadow clone outside. He would search for Sakura with them, whether he was allowed to or not. Naruto leapt into the forest and followed the two.

Teacher and student headed for the Yamanaka Flower Shop. Naruto watched the two disappear within for a few minutes before bringing out Ino.

"...Thank you so much, Yamato-sensei, Sai-kun," Naruto overheard her saying as she pressed the heel of her hand to her wet eyes. "I'll tell Shikamaru soon. When do we meet?"

"At three, Konoha Gate. We think Sakura may head towards Sound for clues first, so plan accordingly for a long journey."

Naruto stepped back with a grin. That was all he needed to hear…

...

At the appointed time, Yamato, Sai, Ino, and Shikamaru convened at the Gates with their preparations made for three days. They had made just several steps through before a voice called after them. The rescue party turned to see Kakashi restraining a very annoyed Naruto.

"I caught this child trying to follow you," he said breezily.

"Kakashi-sen—"

"But I'd be lying if I said I didn't intend to come also," he interrupted.

"Sempai," Yamato inquired, "Doesn't Tsunade-sama need you?"

"Jiraiya just learned the happenings of the past few days. He contacted us by summon animal to say that he'll be arriving from the Sanctuary of Frogs tomorrow. Konoha will be in good hands."

"Alright," he agreed. "But for Naruto…"

"I'm coming!"

"It's no use arguing with him," Kakashi laughed. He scratched his head and admitted, "I've never given Sakura the attention she's deserved. And this may be Team 7's only chance to save a lost member…"

"And a friend," Ino said hotly.

"And a friend," the jounin agreed and Naruto echoed with fervor.

"We're bringing Sakura home."

...

_ Sakura  
_

_...  
_

The missing-nin roused at dawn, vividly recalling her dream. Itachi had called her to Amegakure, and she could not let the opportunity pass. She ached to know what he had meant in saying that she would never find Sasuke.

She left the town in haste, following the general direction a kind villager had pointed her in. In moments, Sakura was speeding over the wilderness again with all civilian pretenses dropped. At midday, she sat for a quick meal and watched in jaded interest as eight bandits approached. Her Sharingan detected them before they even saw her, but the only sight that greeted them was easy quarry.

"Why, hello there," the chief sneered, his eyes running up and down her relaxed posture.

"Pink hair!" one pointed out the obvious. "And pretty too. Chief, she'd sell for a good price."

"Hold on boys. We done some good work today, and shouldn't we reward ourselves?" he waved lazily. "We could have some fun first."

Her bowed head hid her smile as he approached and roughly grabbed her arm.

With a calculated arm, Sakura effortlessly brought her palm to her assailant's chin and snapped his neck. He fell with a broken cry, his men falling back in shock.

She tilted her head and smiled charmingly. "Scared?"

A reckless fool charged at her from behind with a raised club, but she gracefully pivoted and caught his slack wrist, swinging him into two of his fellow members. Her eyes glowed with elation.

"Who's next?" she sang. The bandits attempted to run. She tsked in disappointment, casually drawing a kunai and launching onto the back of the nearest one. She drew the blade across his neck viciously and leapt off the falling body, onto the next, then the next, then the next…

Sakura surveyed the mess with satisfaction, disappointment, disgust, and regret. Her clothes were fairly bloodless…but _She _was a mess. She bitterly turned away and shaded her eyes from the hot, foreign sun so different from Konoha's. In the distance, a dark sky could be seen above scattered villages. Amegakure, of the never-ending rain. The landscape was a stark contrast to the bright and wilting wasteland around her. A sigh of relief escaped her mouth as she picked up the journey again. The bodies remained behind.

By noon, she reached a field of wet grass, feeling the drops of rain indicating her arrival. The nearest village smoldered from the bandits' earlier assault.

Sakura found despairing eyes dropping on her medic's skirt and voices crying for relief. For once, no one asked to see her village head-protector before requesting medical help, which she was thankful for. _She _was bored, and retreated within her mind, allowing Sakura to just surrender to her medic's instincts.

The village's graying chief was the only one who had faint ninja training, and sustained the most damage. He was a good man, putting his people before himself, and he was grateful for Sakura's medical services. He was the only one who noticed the glint of scarred metal under the open collar of Sakura's red blouse. But he remained silent, an agreement trading between him and the renegade. After healing a family of their severe burns and resuscitating a dying child, Sakura picked herself up and asked for a place to stay. She was welcomed sincerely, and the surprise warmed her conscience, even her insanity's.

In the humble room they offered her, Sakura settled on a cot and read through a few more scrolls before the sound of falling rain lulled her into a dreamless sleep.

...

_Day 4_

_...  
_

In the morning, the chief told her that the head village had contacted him – they would like to reward Sakura for her aid. Again, the silent agreement passed between the two and he offered the missing-nin a temporary head-protector.

Sakura was reluctant to receive any public acknowledgement – any word of a brilliant medic in a backwater area might tip off her seekers – but the man's sincerity touched her. So she accepted the head-protector and checked on the family one more time before walking three miles to the center of Ame.

The area was practically metropolitan compared to the last; close to the size of Konoha, almost every fifth person was a ninja. Sakura wondered why they hadn't come to the aid of their fellow villagers, but she slowly grew aware of their cruel, set mouths and hauteur.

_The atmosphere is so different here, _she realized with a bit of homesickness. But she snapped out of her unfamiliar softness and forced herself to understand that she had become a traitor, and would be punished duly if she ever returned to Konoha.

The missing-nin squared her shoulders and approached the center of the village, absent-mindedly listening to her surroundings. Market noises and arguments, idle gossip, the snap of a newspaper…its owner's conversation caught her attention.

"Looks like Konoha's in a rough spot," a smug-looking jounin said. Amegakure's slate-blue vest of status didn't deter Sakura from giving a sharp glance in his direction. He failed to notice and continued to chat with his interested companion, "Their traitor turned up dead and Shimura went postal. The great village ain't so great anymore, eh?"

Sakura recklessly approached them. "What's this about?" she asked coldly.

The jounin gave her an appraising look, and his friend let out a low whistle.

"Haven't seen _you _around before…You wanna tour of Ame?"

She ignored his arrogant advance and stared at the newspaper slack in his hand. "What were you saying?"

"Oh – is that it?" He sounded none too pleased at her frostiness, and his reply had a bite to it.

"Their famous Uchiha – the last one, right? You know he flipped out before disappearing from Konoha and all that a few years ago. Well, he turned up dead. Serves him and Konoha right, we at Amegakure would have killed him lo –"

_Make him scream._

Before the poor man knew it, he was shoved into the brick wall behind with back-bruising force. Audible cracks were heard as the slabs crumbled in red dust. Another moment and Sakura's hand was at his neck with her tantō. Rage flashed across her face before cool hatred settled into place.

"You dare repeat that," she murmured, Sharingan unconsciously activated in her eyes as she lifted them to relish the paralyzed fear in his face.

He whimpered as she teased the blade around his vulnerable throat, ghosting off the skin. Someone screamed.

And that's how Ino and Team 7 found her.

...

_An hour ago_

_...  
_

"We're getting close to Sound," Yamanaka announced as she returned to her body from a bird's flight.

"Thank you, Ino-san," Yamato glanced at the shadow on the horizon. "The Akatsuki should be here in a day."

"Perhaps we should split," Sai suggested.

"Why?"

"It's not like Sakura to recklessly charge ahead. She must know someone's been sent to find or accompany her, right? She probably stayed at a village for the night."

"He's right," Naruto smiled with relief. "Sakura-chan probably left a message for us."

"Alright. We have some time," Kakashi said with some respite, though a lingering doubt twisted in his gut. "Let's split up. What's the nearest village, Nara-san?"

"Amegakure," the jounin glanced up from his map. "About an equal distance from here as it is to Sound."

"Remember, we are also here to obtain more information on Sound. Nara, Sai, and I can head to Sound while you three go to Amegakure." Yamato suggested.

"Sounds good," Kakashi nodded to his junior. "Then…let's meet back here in two hours." He turned to beckon Naruto and Ino, but the two were already tearing in the direction of the humid winds and dark skies.

He sighed and followed; the scattered set of villages neared within the half-hour. They passed over a bloody sight with some unease, but it was common for bandits to war on each other so the annihilation was stepped over without second thought.

Their flight to the nearest group of huts was greeting by the sight of reconstruction. The leader immediately approached the strangers.

"How can I help you?" the elder asked warily, eyeing their Konoha headbands and recalling the medic who had hidden hers before.

"We're only here to search for our companion," Kakashi said smoothly. "Have you seen any kunoichi here?"

A curious child who had lingered, staring at the strange shinobi, shyly piped up to the leader's instant consternation, "A nee-san with beautiful hair healed me yesterday!"

The elder hushed her, but Ino knelt and asked kindly, "Was her hair pink?"

The girl nodded with wide eyes.

The kunoichi smiled in gratitude and addressed the leader sincerely. "She's our friend. Can you point us in her direction?"

He finally smiled, "She's heading towards Central at the moment," he pointed. "Please thank her again on behalf of the village."

Gratified to hear that Sakura was doing well and up to her compassionate ways, the party headed towards the center of Ame.

It came as a shock to see the kindhearted girl they all loved assaulting a fellow shinobi without provocation.

...

"S-Sakura?" Ino stepped forward hesitantly. Familiar eyes with unfamiliar emotion stared at her. Her friend unconsciously retreated.

For a split second, Kakashi had sworn that he had seen some semblance of Sharingan in his former student's eyes. Disregarding the hallucination, he still tensed; this was not the Sakura they knew. It hit him – something dreadful and recognizable danced in her eyes. Dread settled in Kakashi's stomach as his mind raced with answers, and he cursed. History was repeating itself.

"Oi!" Naruto shouted. "Sakura-chan, you're hurting him!"

She casually released the shinobi, who immediately slumped but remained paralyzed. Her steps toward them were hesitant, and she suddenly stopped as if an invisible wall was blocking her way. Her head tilted, her emerald eyes traveled from the three faces of old friends. Ino's shocked and repulsed expression. Naruto's accusatory look. Kakashi's hand instinctively resting at his kunai pouch. They meant to detain her.

Sakura stared back callously.

_They hate you._

The insanity whispered again:

…_But it doesn't matter, right?_

The tantō arced silver circles in her confident hand before screaming to a stop.

_Because there's only one thing that does matter: Sasuke._

The Sharingan flashed gold in her eyes.

"I won't let you get in my way."

...

_No matter what it takes._

_

* * *

_

_To be continued…_

**So, should I continue this? Not to be demanding, but I don't want to continue what will be a waste of my time if my skills aren't up to readers but no one reviews. I'm up for criticism, compliments, suggestions – I looove reviews. So tell me if you like the story! :)**


	3. Vanishing Point

**Thank you for the reviews! They make me so happy :) it's almost as satisfying as chocolate…and like chocolate, you can never have enough~**

**To answer a reviewer's question, there **_**will **_**be some romance! But not in this chapter, I'm afraid :( Soon, though! Also, a warning – starting from this chapter, there will be a bit of swearing – hopefully not discouraging to any readers! Just tap me on the proverbial shoulder if it gets too bad.**

*** This chapter is dedicated to Teenage Crisis and alichaSxS for their wonderful feedback 3  
**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its storyline, or characters. However, this fanfiction is based on Naruto, and is my creation. **

**

* * *

**

**Labyrinth**

_**Chapter 3: Vanishing Point**_

_**

* * *

**_

_Her head tilted, her emerald eyes traveled from the three faces of old friends. Ino's shocked and repulsed expression. Naruto's accusatory look. Kakashi's hand instinctively resting at his kunai pouch. They meant to detain her._

_Sakura stared back callously._

_They hate you._

_The insanity whispered again:_

…_But it doesn't matter, right?_

_The tantō arced silver circles in her confident hand before screaming to a stop._

_Because there's only one thing that does matter: Sasuke._

_The Sharingan flashed gold in her eyes._

_"I won't let you get in my way."_

_

* * *

_

…

_Konoha_

…

Tsunade absent-mindedly pressured the area above her heart, remembering the feel of the katana that had been there. She stared at the rambling, deranged man sitting in the cell beyond the glass division, and sighed.

_Danzo, _she thought with disgust and pity, _Why did you betray Konoha? To obtain more of the Sharingan? What were your motives? _She shuddered, picturing the precious eyes locked in her biomedical vault. Thinking of it only reminded her of the autopsy she had to perform later.

Jiraiya greeted her at the door as she left the asylum.

"Anything new?" He asked softly. He was somber and comforting, and his teammate looked at him gratefully with a rush of affection.

"No, Jiraiya," the Godaime Hokage sighed. "But your help has been so good to Konoha. How can I ever repay you?"

"A kiss," the sannin joked, earning a light punch. "But Tsunade, I love Konoha as much as you do. There's no need for payment." He looked out of the hospital's window and at the darkening sky.

"It's been four days, already, huh?"

"Yes."

He followed her to the high-security operation room, where the body of the infamous Uchiha Sasuke lay. But Jiraiya's eyes drifted toward Orochimaru's body across the room and he let out a deep sigh.

"I know, Jiraiya." He reached an arm around her shoulder, seeing her downcast expression.

"History just repeats itself…doesn't it?"

"Orochimaru's done…so many ills to innocents, to Konoha…but, I can't help remembering." She gave a heartbroken chuckle. "Those good times; him, you, me, Minato-sensei. And then the day Hanzo granted the three of us the title of Sannin. That day, I thought that our bond was finally unbreakable. That...we'd be together, forever..."

Her old teammate squeezed her hand lightly. "The best we can do is look after Konoha now. Naruto will find Sakura. We have to take care of them, because they're our village's future now."

"Of course," Tsunade smiled at the hopeful thought.

The sannins surveyed the white-sheeted, pale body of the youth before them with regret.

"Poor bastard," Jiraiya murmured. Tsunade echoed softly as she readied herself for the examination.

"Shizune's resting," she announced as she lifted the boy's hand to attach to a monitor. "Help me out here, Jiraiya."

He nodded and aided her in the autopsy prep. Unsurprisingly, no heart beat read on the monitor's face. Other aspects were filled out in detached letters and numbers, which Tsunade scanned quickly. The boy was the epitome of perfect health, other than being utterly dead. She lightly placed her finger tips and sent chakra through the body. With closed eyes and extreme concentration, a minute passed before she frowned.

"Jiraiya…there's no poison, seal, or other conceivable limitation on his system, but…"

The sannin looked up from the vitals he was copying from the monitor. "What is it…?"

"His chakra system is completely depleted, which isn't abnormal…but its _capacity _seems halved."

"What do you mean?"

"He has the capacity of a normal chuunin," she hesitated, "I don't know. Don't you think it'd be a little higher…since Orochimaru trained him?"

"I honestly don't know, Tsunade," Jiraiya shrugged. "That could be a unique case. Maybe he subsisted on excellent chakra control."

The medic-nin frowned. "That doesn't seem to be the case. He's no Sakura. And the Curse Seal should've added to his reserves…"

Puzzled silence filled the room as Tsunade continued the chakra scan. Suddenly she fell back in alarm and her companion hastily looked up, spilling the bottle of ink.

"Jiraiya…this is…!"

…

_Sakura_

…

Sakura leaped up the walls of Amegakure, rain stinging her face. The sky darkened rapidly as she evaded the three climbing shinobi. With a graceful half-turn and an exhilarated laugh, Sakura released venomous senbon at her pursuers.

Kakashi deflected them with ease, leaping onto the roof. Naruto followed with a shout, Ino close behind.

"Sakura, stop this," the jounin called warily. "Come home with us." Her reply was another volley of senbon. She was running across Ame's skyline at her best speed now, a full out sprint that her hunters were pressed to keep up with.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's cry stung her conscience, but she forced her legs to keep moving. Soon, she was hurtling off of the village's gates and was gliding above the treetops.

_To Sound, _the last, faint thought of reason pushing into her mind. _It's already in ruins. If this turns into a full-out fight…it won't hurt anyone. _No matter that her insane persona had just caused a violent scene in Amegakure.

The said persona was already taking over with ease. Sakura briefly wondered why – perhaps it was the thrill of being chased, and her instincts pushing brutality to the forefront – but she didn't linger on it, a smile spreading on her face and her wild psyche enjoying every moment.

Kakashi resigned himself to the pursuit, yelling for Naruto and Ino to split directions. They obeyed, disappearing from the peripherals of his vision. The jounin grimly lifted his Konoha to reveal the crimson eye underneath. _Sakura…how on earth did you obtain the Sharingan? _Context suspicions linked it to the bloodlimit keys left on the council chamber's floor…but Kakashi pushed the thoughts out of his mind. He would ask her once they were back in Konoha…

Ino gave a shout; the other half of the rescue team was approaching, nearing Sakura's radius.

"Shikamaru!" she screamed over the rising winds. The torrent of rain had lifted, only to be replaced with raging breezes. They whipped her voice into the sound vacuum, but her boyfriend managed to interpret from Ino's panic and Sakura's evident instability. He attempted to capture the sprinting kunoichi with his Kagemane, but to no avail. The two groups converged, but their quarry leapt far above their heads and landed with the Sky Leg, splitting the terrain. The startled reunion separated to avoid being crushed by debris, and the stunned second half of the rescue team could only watch as Sakura leapt to the ruins of Sound.

"What happened?" Yamato shouted over the wind's cacophony. Sai and Shikamaru were just behind him.

"I don't know," Kakashi's said grimly, unwilling to reveal his suspicions. "But we have to stop her from reaching the vicinity of the Akatsuki. They may use her to lure Naruto."

The team fervently joined to follow the kunoichi, who was fast approaching the morbid silhouette of the ruined Sound. The trail led deep into the ruins, and the team landed in a small clearing isolated of debris. The chuunins stared in awestruck horror at the fortress-like structures so unlike Konoha's; their first sight of the corrupted village was the sight of its devastation.

"Focus!" Yamato's voice sounded oddly loud in the quiet desolation. The wind had fallen quiet and dim stars dotted the sky above. The pale moon cast an eerie glow about them as they strained to detect any trace of their renegade kunoichi. Suddenly, the hiss of senbon followed by a startled yell and Ino's piercing cry split the silence. Ino dropped to her knees and grasped the fallen Shikamaru by his shoulders.

"Shikamaru-kun! Shikamaru!"

Their strategist grimaced and dropped a blood-tinged palm from his neck, revealing two senbon lodged at the base. Dark beryl froth issued from the microscopic wounds. The panicked team heard their medic-nin draw a sharp intake of breath.

"_Poison," _Ino cried. "I – I can't heal this kind…!" She swung around and addressed the vague shadows. "Sakura! How could you?" Her heartbroken cry rang out pleadingly.

A shadowed figure stepped lightly onto a fallen column. "He got in the way," a bored voice responded. "He protected Sai."

Ino, overwhelmed with anguished rage, unthinkingly swung a kunai at the figure, and instantly regretted it – _It's Sakura she's attacking – _but the sound of dispersed chakra gave her immediate relief and dread.

"He won't die, Ino-pig," a laughing voice emitted from behind them. They swung around, and glowing Sharingan eyes watched them with amusement. "You're so dramatic." Sakura stepped towards them, the soft light silvering her pale hair. "He'll just be in incapacitated agony for awhile." She examined her nails with disinterest. "Though, I suppose that leaves only five of you."

"Sakura-chan…!" Naruto, muted in despair until now, pleaded. He began to approach her, but froze, searching her foreign eyes. "Come back," he choked out. "Please."

The jounins behind him tensed as Sakura laughed softly.

"I can't, Naruto-kun," she said gently. He noticed the suffix with misery because she only used it when she meant things seriously.

"I'm going to save Sasuke-kun."

"S-sakura-chan, h-he's dead," the jinchuuriki bowed his head and sobbed. "I know…I know you're hurting...I miss him too...! But, there's nothing we can do. Teme is…"

Kakashi moved in front of Naruto a split second before her fist made contact with flesh. Naruto gave out a shocked cry as the two were thrown backwards. Yamato quickly moved behind them and braced forward, taking the brunt of their falling bodies. The Copy-Ninja felt his ribs crack from the impact of Sakura's chakra-laden assault. He squeezed his eyes shut and forcefully heightened his pain threshold. One thought of denial crossed his mind.

_This isn't Sakura._

Sakura surveyed the scene with amusement: her three enemies struggling to rise, Ino kneeling by Shikamaru nearby, and Sai, standing helplessly, with uncertainty flashing in his dark eyes.

"Want to play?" she offered, insanity and mirth dancing in her eyes. Sai looked away. He wordlessly drew out a paper scroll and prepared his brush. Split seconds after eye contact, he was summoning his liquid-lithe, indigo blue lions of ink. She smiled and leapt back with a quick hand-seal – the lions were incinerated and their liquid remains spattered on the dusty floor like blood. In the next subsequent seconds, the ruins of Sound turned into a battleground between Sakura and her enemies. The rapid exchange of blows went like this:

Sai determinedly pulled out another scroll as Yamato appeared behind her – she burnt the outreaching arms of wood that burst from the ground and side-jumped – over Kakashi's sweeping-leg kick. A furor of tigers pawed at her side, but she dispersed them and somersaulted over Yamato and Kakashi's combined assault.

"I can see everything," she sang. The gold petals of her Sharingan shone brightly as she hung in the sky, seemingly suspended in her backwards high-jump – then she flipped and landed with the Sky Leg, forcing her enemies to leap away. Ino's scream pierced through the din of the earthquake and Sai shouted, "Yamanaka! Take Nara and get away from here!"

Sakura caught the terror breaking the purportedly emotionless ex-Root's face. She used the falling debris to disguise her appearance behind him.

"Wipe the fear off your face, Root," she murmured. She didn't see it, but his eyes widened. His shock was palpable. She smirked. "Danzo would be disappointed…" She seized the silk scroll he had grasped in his hands – his most prized offensive, she knew from their training sessions in those days – and twisted it about his neck. The two jounins emerged from the dust to see this horrifying sight.

She sighed. "Sai, stop struggling." He did anyways, only furthering his suffocation. To spare him – and appease the tormented heart buried deep within her, screaming for her to _stop _– Sakura tapped the base of his skull and the ex-Root member was rendered unconscious. She dropped his body carelessly and drew her tantō, approaching the two jounins.

_This is going to be a long night._

…

"Welcome to my nightmare. I think you're going to like it.

There'll be some more when you come down."

Alice Cooper

…

Sakura tended to her wounds, rage bubbling beneath her surface. Sharingan had made her much more powerful and made things so much easier – but trapping Yamato in his own forbidden earth seal and paralyzing Kakashi with a well-timed deflection of the Chidori still ended up with a lung collapsed and her side torn out.

Yes, the Chidori. It had come to that.

Sakura leaned back in the tree she rested on momentarily, losing some tension despite her torn clothes and blood-stained hair. She smiled wearily at the brightening sky. Another day survived as a missing-in.

In her short reprieve, she found the Yin Seal covetously stored in her vault scroll. She settled for applying the emerald jewel on the back of her right hand – it sparkled with two years' worth of her stored chakra – and slid her worn, black glove back on. Sakura frugally allowed herself to some of the seal's massive reserves, sighing with relief as her depleted chakra system filled a little. What a gift her chakra control was – not many could easily deposit or withdraw chakra from seals – and her enemies didn't have that benefit.

Ruptured lung healed, blood filtered out, heart unbruised, abdominal muscles repaired, her skin unbroken – Sakura stretched from her uncomfortable sitting position with satisfaction and simply waited. A soldier pill fixed her weariness, the first she had to use in a long while.

Kami, she was tired – and Naruto was coming for her – and it was the _Fifth Day._

…

Kakashi struggled to at least get off his bloodied side, but the current running through his body fizzled, and he collapsed with a groan. His vision blacked out and surged back with painful sensitivity. His Sharingan was losing on him.

He remembered the guilt and the euphoria of using it the first time – _Obito's –_ and the potency it granted him. He felt like a newborn Susanoo, a deity of bloodlust and battle. He knew; Sakura was soaring on the height of its power.

But there was something else, he noticed, little things he tried to deny.

Like her recklessness despite intelligent battle, heightened threshold of pain (almost as if she didn't care what happened to herself)…the madness in her eyes.

Kakashi closed his eyes in pain as the Sharingan reminded him that he overexerted himself. He was going blind, no doubt…

In the cool darkness and comfort of his closed lids he found himself in the past. History repeating itself. Rin, staring at him with the same, burning eyes.

_There's nothing left, _she had said. _Kami, there's so much blood on my hands, I can't look._

He looked, her hands and medic-skirt were stainless. _Calm down, Rin. _

_Kakashi…when will you stop lying to yourself?_

He avoided her eyes. The burning truth accosted him there.

_I'm tired. _She suddenly admitted, her voice subdued. _I…I want to see Obito again._

Silence. A bitter laugh. And then:

_You know, I thought it was you I loved…but I…it was Obito all along. I think, Kakashi…_

He met her eyes, fear weighing down his heart. _Please don't, _he thought.

_I think I can save him._

A few days later, Rin was found dead. Her insanity didn't spread far, and her true self recovered for just enough time to find solace in death. No, it wasn't suicide…though one could look at it that way. She had gone after the Akatsuki. Her sacrifice was noted on Konoha's memorial. Two months, and Kakashi had lost two teammates. Another, and he and his sensei drifted apart. Two years later, and his vision began to blur. And so to, did his memories, rejecting the cause of Rin's death:

_It wasn't her insanity. He simply didn't stop her._

But here was a chance to redeem himself, through Sakura.

He felt Naruto' presence at his side. "Naruto, go," he urged through a bloodied mouth. "Y-you might be able to save Sakura…from herself…"

The wearied man grasped his student's hand firmly. "Be careful."

In a flash, the jinchuuriki obeyed.

Kakashi closed his eyes and let the past catch up to him.

.

…

.

Naruto stood, facing Sakura in a grassy expanse just outside of Sound. The early morning was still gray with Ame's perpetual cloud and the air was cool. Bird cries echoed above them, bouncing off the mountain range in the distance and masking the soft sigh of a waterfall.

First, it had been the Valley of the End, the first step of Sasuke's leaving. Now, they were just outside of Sound, the setting of Sasuke's demise. Sakura threw her head back and laughed. God, she was always chasing after Sasuke.

Naruto hesitantly stepped towards her. Then the tantō was at his throat.

"Don't," she murmured. "This is already hard, Naruto…"

He clenched his fists and shuddered, burning tears filling his eyes. "Just – just come back!"

"Naruto, I –"

"You say you're going to bring Sasuke back. How? What are you thinking of, Sakura, _tell me!"_

He continued, seeing the internal storm in her emerald eyes. He was relieved to see the abnormal Sharingan absent, and the small hint of guilt there instead.

"I promised you that _I _would bring him back. You promised me that we would do it together. So tell me -!" His tears were streaming now.

"Then…let me go with you."

Sakura's eyes snapped to his.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Naruto, being Hokage means everything to you."

"Not without my friends to protect –"

"The _village, _Naruto. Even if they don't know it yet, they need you."

Sakura laughed bitterly.

"Kami, Naruto, I'm legitimately _insane _and _I'm _telling _you _this."

"I don't care." His adamant response shot back.

"You can't come with me," she said more softly.

"Then I'm bringing you back."

They wordlessly settled into stance. Then suddenly –

Sakura gasped as the Kyuubi surged into Naruto's form, and the jinchuuriki lunged towards her with a chakra-clawed hand. His very aura tore the grass and earth beneath him, leaving a comet-like trail. She dodged the assault and brought up her blade, only for it to be shattered by his hand.

Her eyes narrowed. She was insane and unpredictable; he had given over slightly to the Kyuubi and was now twice as unpredictable. This would be an interesting fight.

She drew on her Sharingan, which seemed to wax in potency each time she used it, and they engaged in battle for hours. She noticed that they were slowly traveling towards the mountainous terrain and back to Ame. Finally, they reached the waterfall. Overhead, dark clouds were rolling and rainless thunder rocked the canyon.

To Sakura's advantage, the force of the Kyuubi contained in Naruto's adolescent body caused his attacks to charge solely on momentum – unable to prevent crashing into the mountainside when she managed to evade. Using her medic's evasion and her natural intuition in picking up this pattern, Naruto's crashes became frequent and increasingly damaging. But she too was tired, and the lightning that bled across the sky was threatening. If they released any more chakra, the charges would surely attract and create an electrical storm that would be fatal to both.

She had to end this now.

Finally, Naruto charged with a cry, Rasengan spiraling in his palm. Sakura, following her suicidal plan, waited and braced herself for the pain. The dazed realization came to her mind: _I might die._

However, Sakura found that somewhere in the battle, her insanity had withdrawn deep within. Calmness and resignation settled over her as she knew that death would release her from its darkness permanently.

Her Sharingan melted away as she closed her eyes.

_Maybe it's better this way.  
_

But Sakura's time of death wasn't to come.

Instead, Naruto had managed to divert his course at the last second and his clawed hand brushed just past her shoulder.

Long, rosette strands flew as the Rasengan grazed her neck, leaving her hair at chin length again. In that millisecond, pride in Naruto for overcoming the Kyuubi's linear predictability, and overwhelming love and despair forced the tears to finally come from Sakura's suppressed psyche. Just as he tore past, Sakura whispered softly.

"Next time, Naruto-kun, don't miss."

The Kyuubi's eyes widened as his heightened senses caught her whispered plea. The boy collapsed on his knees behind Sakura, shaking with exhaustion and anguish.

"Damn it - why, Sakura?" He cried into his knees. His fist pummeled the stone floor. Sakura idly watched the pale strands drift, and fall onto the waterfall's shallow river. The blood melted off the silken hairs and stained the water before it was purified in the gentle current. Her tears dried in the cool wind as she stood and struggled there, with her own heart.

She walked across the river and stood at the opposite bank, waiting for him.

"Come at me, Naruto."

His wordless cry echoed across the canyon. She gazed at his shaking back.

"Why didn't you move? I – I could've killed you!"

She waited patiently. He slowly got up, his sapphire eyes darkened with misery. A bunshin appeared at his side.

"Why –" he shouted with a tear-streaked face, pivoting as the sky-blue spiral appeared in his palm. Thunder shook the heavens overhead.

"Why is everyone leaving me?"

Sakura – her insanity and sanity reunited in one, impossible wish – stretched her arms open wide. Her will was single and undivided; her hopes tumbling out of her mouth as she watched Kyuubi – Naruto – run towards her, with despairing hope welling from the depths of her heart.

In the same instant – the Rasengan tore through her chest, and she embraced Naruto with all the love she could give.

The winds died and the thunder receded.

The only sounds in the canyon now were from the sigh of the waterfall, Naruto's heartbroken sobs, and her own labored breathing. She held him close, letting his tears wet her shoulder and her shortly-cropped, silken hair.

"Shh," she murmured, rubbing his back. She could feel her blood seeping into their fronts.

"It's okay." Sakura let them both drop to the bank of the river, and she slowly moved herself upright, into a crouch. She rolled the still-sobbing Naruto onto his back, wincing as she felt her ribs pierce her lung and near threateningly to her heart. Her medic's instinct gave him a once-over first. He seemed okay, but slightly delirious with guilt.

"Sakura-chan," he whimpered.

"Shh." She smoothed back his hair wearily. "Now listen to me, Naruto."

He shook his head fiercely and she laughed tenderly.

"Oh, Uzumaki Naruto. You – you are going back to Konoha. And you are going to be the best, best Hokage it has ever had."

He pressed the back of hand to his eyes, and she gently lifted it away.

"No, look at me. I'll be fine. One day, I'll come back –"

She smiled as he sadly met her eyes. "You, me, and Sasuke…we'll be Team 7 again. But until then, _you _must stay strong. For all of us. You're our anchor."

She gave a shuddering breath. "No matter what you hear of me – no matter what insane and cruel and vicious things I do that you hear of – you have to keep hoping. _I _will always be here, somewhere underneath the insanity," Sakura realized that she was promising herself this, "And I'll return. Okay?"

Naruto finally nodded, and his grief-stricken sobs slowed.

"I'm going now, Naruto-kun," Sakura whispered. She squeezed his hand and slowly stood. His eyes had closed as he slipped into weary unconsciousness, and she knew from his strong breathing that he would be okay.

The missing-nin swayed momentarily, overcome with dizziness, blood loss, fatigue…and loneliness.

She had broken her last tie to Konoha.

_No more tears, _she vowed. She slid off the ripped remains of her glove and pressed her palm to her bloodied chest. It was remarkable that she was still conscious, with the Rasengan torn through there. Sakura slowly healed herself, drawing on the Yin Seal as she steadied a walk with a hand on the canyon's wall. The thunder clouds had moved on, sounding quietly in the distance. The sky was brightly lit, moon and stars shining brilliantly and only occasionally masked by thin rain clouds. She staggered through the canyon.

_Itachi is waiting._

She pushed herself through the long, torturous walk, reliving the day's wounds and all of her emotional exhaustion. Even the Insanity lingered only at the fringes. Her whole being was just…defeated.

Finally, she reached the end of the river. A cave stood at the end, a faint cloud drawn above the mouth. Pale red stained the silver-lined emblem. Sakura stood numbly in front of the entrance, falling until her arm hit the earth wall beside it to support herself. She remained there, breathing faintly for the moment.

"I'm…_still…so weak…_" she forced out quietly to herself. She punched the wall futilely and waited to regain her strength.

There was a quiet ringing of bells.

Sakura slowly turned around.

Itachi stood behind her, watching her impassively.

The ancient Sharingan in its truest form gazed at her, under the dark, silk hair that fell about his shadowed face.

_He looks so much like Sasuke. _

And she knows that he sees the recognition in her eyes, that the pain is open on her face._  
_

Sakura hated her vulnerability as she warily watched the S-class missing-nin. There were many things to call him, but that particular title came to mind as he powerfully, but soundlessly moved so that they were within ten feet. He respectfully maintained his distance, but Sakura could still feel the immense force of his chakra, his signature a constantly rippling, but quiet storm.

Silence stretched between them. Then he said in his subdued voice:

"So you came."

The rain softly began to fall.

.

...

.

She felt his gaze upon her as she dropped to the wet grass, the rain running blood off her soaked body. Her eyes closed in humiliation and just sheer exhaustion. She felt a momentary sense of vertigo before she blacked out.

He lifted her into his arms and watched her pale face for a moment, before tilting his face to feel the soft rain.

"I don't believe you are weak."

Their figures melted into the darkness, with the quiet ringing of bells.

…

_This is where it starts._

…

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

**Itachi and Sakura finally meet! How was the chapter, eh, eh? –Poke- Please review, I really want feedback! :) I figure that it will actually be awhile until we meet Sasuke, but I'm not giving anything away. Until next time~**


	4. Erased

**Thank you for the reviews :) 9 reviews! Can I have 15-20 in the next two chapters, eh, eh? xD Anyways, please read and tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its storyline, or characters. However, this fanfiction is based on Naruto, and is my creation. **

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* * *

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**Labyrinth**

_**Chapter 4: Erased**_

__**_Sasuke_**

_**

* * *

**_

…

_2 Weeks Ago_

…

The youth listened with half-lidded eyes, anger and rising anticipation roiling in his stomach. He crept back from the slightly opened door with the utmost care, chakra disguised. He had heard enough.

So Orochimaru thought he could take his body so soon, eh? The snake had initiative; he was no coward, despite having seen his student's potential and already significant strength. Sasuke smirked. He would give the old man that much, at least. For years, he had given the man his close-lipped respect, gritted teeth under the most strenuous and punishing training. And now? Sasuke would not give up his body.

Promise or not, Sasuke realized that he would kill Itachi – and with his own conscience in his own body. The past two and half years have given him enough strength without the crumbling sannin inhabiting his body, _his _precious Sharingan eyes.

The Uchiha slid into the shadows, a plan forming in his mind, pitting against all he had heard his master and retainer, Kabuto, discuss. It was risky, but it would guarantee the security of his own body. And Itachi's imminent death…perhaps within the next two years.

_My hatred is strong enough. _Sasuke felt it deep in his psyche, in his chakra, emitted on the very surface of his skin – it was an inextricable part of him.

But there was a part of him, the part that had him waking up screaming every other night the past two years: his memories, and his love.

When he wasn't training until his hands bled and his back collapsed from the burning pain, he was staring idly at the waterfall crashing down the rocky terrain behind Sound or at the rainy landscape in the distance.

And in that brief moment of stillness, his eyes of hatred closed and his mind would open, blooming bright images in the darkness. His cherished Konoha. The once colorful and noisy Uchiha district. His stern but proud father, the cool hands and warm eyes of his mother. _Itachi. _

But out of self-defense, his mind would jump to years ahead, when his heart was slowly opened by the friends he had gained. Team 7: Kakashi, their perverted but insightful sensei. The awe and respect that he had gained when the Chidori sparked beneath his palm, and the slow realization that power _just might _be found with his friends too. And Naruto, his friend and rival – Sasuke, mused, how was such a thing so possible, so painful, so amazing? – laughing boisterously and pulling his shoulder down with a heavy but flippant arm. Always, always racing besides the Uchiha with a laugh; pushing him, encouraging him, being a true friend.

Then there was Sakura. His traitorous mind would recall her loving smile, her foolish courage in the worst of times. That torn and bleeding back with beautifully-hued locks devastated by kunai, that back that protected him with near-suicidal audacity in the Forest of Death. Guilt would burn in his heart, pushing back the hate for a moment and opening a slight vulnerability. That girl was so weak, but she too had been a friend. No matter she had annoying tendencies and _always distracted him_, no matter that she was an obstruction to his goals. Her smile was always a light to him, and he selfishly, selfishly always took it without one in return. It was the smile that soothed him in the blackness of night, when he shot up in bed with chest ablaze in the hurt of breathing, and with tormented mind reeling from nightmares.

He remembered his last night in Konoha, and his callous heart again burned with guilt.

He wondered if she was still weak.

He wondered if she still loved him.

…

"We're born alone, we live alone, we die alone.

Only through our love and friendship can we create the illusion for the moment that we're not alone."

Orson Welles

…

The Uchiha stood behind the waterfall, in the hidden cavern that extended to unknown depths within the mountain. His lips lifted slightly as he observed the untouched landscape. It almost reminded him of the Valley of End, but on a small and more forested scale. The cave was properly obscured by the falling water and the mountain's natural chakras would mask any of his own.

Especially since the body he planned to place within would be a third of its true power.

Months ago, Konoha's youngest missing-nin (seconded only by his ANBU brother at fourteen) stumbled across Orochimaru's hidden library of forbidden jutsu. He would return there on sleepless nights to lay hands on the worn parchment and peruse any jutsu that interested him, and his master never suspected.

Sasuke came upon two treasures.

The first was a taboo jutsu that was an advanced form of the Kage Bunshin. It would allow a ninja to split his body and chakra multiple times in clones that would act as realistically as the master. But upon death, they would remain undispersed until the main body called them back. Only when the clones were all summoned back would the master's chakra be whole again.

The second would allow someone to sleep indefinitely, a comatose state in other words. It would require very little to subsist, but would continue to age.

The only problem with the second, crucial to his plan, was that Sasuke would need accomplices to protect his comatose body. He found them immediately after overhearing Orochimaru's over-early initiative: Karin, Juugo, and Suigetsu. Karin, because she was a blind but devoted servant who would do anything for him, and her skills would be valuable in the future. Juugo, because of his strength and controllable nature (after some fashion of handling). Suigetsu, also because of his strength, and Sasuke could promise him his own goals.

Sasuke assembled the three at midnight, a source of quickly-stifled complaint, and laid out his plans and promises. In a week or so, he would use the Kage Tsuin no Jutsu to create two more "twins" beside himself. The twins would have to be enough to dispatch Orochimaru, and if they weren't enough, the snake sannin would still be unable to awaken the true Sasuke from his comatose state. Even _he _himself wouldn't be able to, for the awakening was predetermined by a time set in the future. Sasuke had grimly resolved to sleep for a year while his clones would train in the duration, compiling the strength accumulated once he awoke.

During his sleep, Juugo and Suigetsu would survey the Akatsuki at a safe distance and inform him later and train with his twins. Karin would care for his comatose self.

Then, he would be strong enough to kill Itachi.

The Uchiha didn't dare think any farther into the future; his present gamble played high stakes in itself. But his mind couldn't help wandering to Konoha, and seeing Naruto and Sakura. They would have grown as well, in the past two and half years.

_Just one more year, _Sasuke thought with resignation. _My brother will be dead. The Uchiha will be revived._

…_and I'll see _them _again._

…

_dawn, seven days ago, the day before the end_

…

Kabuto's shadow pierced the light that filtered into Sasuke's dark quarters. The sleepless Uchiha turned over and glared at Orochimaru's retainer. The intruder dared to step into the room and Sasuke lazily lifted his head off his pillow.

The Sound medic-nin deflected the kunai with equal nonchalance.

"Good morning to you too, Uchiha."

"What do you want?"

"Orochimaru-sama wants to see you."

The missing-nin raised an eyebrow. Usually the sannin allowed him free reign until training, at noon. _So it's today, eh? _His mind pictured the shadow twins hidden in his adjacent room. Sasuke smirked, the anticipation for the day's battle rising.

"You seem to be in good spirits, Sasuke-kun."

"Get out," the Uchiha snapped irritably. "Tell him that I'll meet him shortly."

Orochimaru's retainer left, and Sasuke rolled off the bed. He pulled on his white hakama and padded across the cold floor. He opened the dusty window and whistled a high pitch softly; the signal for his comrades. He then pulled open the bolted door across the room. It was an extra bedroom that no one had used, unwilling to quarter with Orochimaru's favorite, violent Uchiha. The twins, dressed in generic Sound gear, had been sitting on the bed while maintaining a chakra-covering shield. Their eyes immediately turned to his, their abyssal depths mirroring his own exhilaration. Orders were needless as they responded to his mind; they followed his steps out of the room as Sasuke pulled on his cloak.

He strode across Sound, unabashedly followed by the twins sharing his chakra. In the corner of his eyes, he noticed and ignored pointing shinobi. He later registered Karin, Suigetsu, and Juugo tailing his trail.

The Uchiha burst into Sound's main hall, or as others knew it, the "throne room." Orochimaru halted in his conversation with a shinobi and stared at his student for the rude display. Sasuke stared impassively back, measuring the sannin's chakra. His twins would be enough.

"My dear Sasuke-kun, I was unaware that I taught you the Kage Bunshin," the sannin commented with a raised eyebrow.

"Orochimaru, you conniving bastard. You've planned to transfer your soul into my body today, haven't you?" His student spat.

"Such hurtful words, Sasuke-kun!" Orochimaru slowly rose, and the jounin who had been fearfully watching began to stumble back. The sannin's gold, serpentine eyes narrowed.

"However…you are right on the mark."

Sasuke didn't waste any more words as he teleported he and his twins outside, in the middle of Sound. The structured village made a nice arena for the two; he decided as he leaped backwards onto the roof. His assembled team joined him there, and they watched as Orochimaru burst from the hall with his katana raised.

The sannin's gold eyes landed on the two Uchiha figures standing there.

"Where is the third?" he hissed. "No matter. I will find you!"

The two wordlessly raised their Kusanagi prototypes, a storm of Chidori Nagashi sparking between them. They charged at Orochimaru, who spread his arms and summoned his snakes.

The real Sasuke watched the ensuing battle impassively, while his fellow spectators noisily chattered.

"Damn, Uchiha, you can really fight," Suigetsu whistled as the two figures broke down the sannin's power. Juugo quietly agreed.

"What did you think, fish-boy?" Karin jabbed smugly. "My Sasuke-kun has enough power to kill twenty of you."

The two bickered until Kabuto landed in front of them.

"Uchiha," his eyes narrowed. "What do you think you're doing?"

"Getting the snake out of the garden," Sasuke said indifferently. He needed to focus on the battle below, so his team would have to take care of the new nuisance. He quickly chose and shoved Suigetsu at the medic-nin. "Be quick."

The amphibious shinobi grumbled in aggravation. "This won't take long."

True to his words, Suigetsu dispatched their enemy within the hour, sending him off the roof brutally. He returned to Sasuke's side, noticing with some gratification that the Uchiha was perspiring slightly. But the battle below was ending.

Orochimaru let out a roar as his serpentine transformation deteriorated into his human form, and a twin stabbed him through the heart and ran him to the wall. The arena of Sound was thoroughly decimated, thanks to the effects of the Chidori and flailing of the summon snakes. The other twin lay dead, but it didn't matter to Sasuke. The end of the sannin was at hand now.

He dropped down from the roof and calmly walked across the debris to see it. Master and enemy watched his unscathed student with hate.

"I refuse...to let this happen!" He began to shake with helpless rage as the twin withdrew and stepped back.

"I am Orochimaru! I am immortal! I will not die here!" The real Sasuke approached, the Kusanagi raised.

"Destined to discover the true meaning behind everything! Destined to take control of everything in this world!"

He spat blood at Sasuke's feet, which coolly stepped over. The youth bent down so that his mouth was by the sannin's ear.

"I've beaten you with only two-thirds of my strength," he smirked as the sannin growled.

"And I will take your power," he sneered with emphasis, "Orochimaru-_sama_."

"Everything…will be mine!" the sannin whispered fiercely. Sasuke smirk widened as he waited patiently. The snake's golden eyes never left his as he breathed his final breath and died, shuddering.

Sasuke placed his palm on the slumped head, delving into the soulless chakra that remained. Flickers of dark conscience, cold hands that reached towards Sasuke's own mind – the last influences ebbed away as Orochimaru's student took only the power of his master. He could feel his watching twin gaining in power proportionately.

Finally, he stepped back and looked triumphantly at the ruins of Sound.

"We're done here," he announced.

"That was so cool, Sasuke-kun," Karin cooed. She sidled up to him, but he ignored her advances.

"Hey Uchiha, what do we do with this here," Suigetsu asked as he prodded the lifeless twin a ways off.

"Leave it," Sasuke responded, inspiration hitting him. "Investigators are probably coming as we speak. Let them find it and think that I'm dead as well."

"Smart," Juugo nodded.

"Let's go."

The five disappeared from the desolation of Sound.

…

_Night, six days ago, the End_

…

That night, Sakura was fighting for her life and sanity in the bloodied chamber back in Konoha.

But now, two hundred miles away, the night was quiet and cool under the glittering sky.

Sasuke and his assembly were behind the curtain of the waterfall, unaware of their proximity to an Akatsuki base and of the destructive events going on in the Fire Country. The Uchiha lit a torch, throwing light and odd shadows into the cavern. It was bare, but for a small bed and some medical equipment. Sasuke hesitantly lowered himself onto the cot, running over his plan one last time.

Suigetsu rubbed the back of his head, a motion that reminded Sasuke of his old genin teammate in Konoha. "So, are we gonna train with this guy for a year?" he gestured awkwardly at Sasuke's silent shadow twin.

He nodded curtly. "Yes. Also, keep an eye out for the Akatsuki. Make sure you and the clone aren't seen during the year."

"Will you be asleep the whole time?" Juugo asked anxiously.

"Yes, but a limited part of my psyche will be in the clone," Sasuke said impatiently. Truthfully, unlike its more well-known counterpart, the Kage Bunshin, the Kage Tsuin was not thoroughly used or tested. How much control he would have while his true mind and body were unconscious was something he didn't know about. And if his twin died while he was still asleep, where would his psyche go then? Doubt was edging on his own confidence now, but he pushed it away. No more second-guessing, or else he'd lose control and sprint to either Itachi or Konoha. He honestly didn't know.

"The reason I'm doing this is to ensure that my real body isn't harmed in any way, and I want to train uninterruptedly under the guise of my death. Then, I'll be ready for revenge." He shut his mouth, eyeing his "friends" warily.

"We'll take care of you," Karin said confidently. Juugo affirmed while Suigetsu laughed.

"Don't have that stick up your ass, Uchiha. We're not gonna kill you or anything. And I'll make sure Karin doesn't jump you in your sleep," the Mist-nin promised while their kunoichi glared daggers.

Sasuke nodded, relieved at their small display of loyalty. He rested fully on the cot, staring at the ceiling of the cavern. He took a deep breath and performed the jutsu with the utmost care, signing out a year's time and ending with the seal of the tortoise, guardian of time. His last sight was his comrades peering at him from the bedside, before oblivion consumed his awareness.

…

Sasuke opened his eyes and fell to his knees in shock. He blinked and surveyed the cavern, seeing the backs of his comrades. He watched them half-turn, and call his name. He saw the unconscious body they stood in front of.

He hadn't expected to be fully submerged in his twin.

"Sasuke-kun, is that you?" Karin cried excitedly. She hugged him, and he endured it before standing up. He stumbled, something alarmed him. His reflexes and senses were terrible dimmed.

_This body is a construct, _he thought grimly, _as is its strength. I can only train to expand my chakra and learn new jutsu. I can do this._

"It's me," he announced, gazing authoritatively around the cavern. "We'll begin training tomorrow. Relax for now; we've done well."

Karin stayed behind as the shinobi scattered throughout the landscape; their collective presence would create a chakra body, jeopardizing the whole purpose of the plan. Sasuke, in his weakened body, spent the night on top of the mountain. He closed his eyes and tried to attune his senses, but it went poorly. Whereas he could control the twin from afar when in his central body, _being _in it was a different matter.

Frustrated, he pulled out the scroll he had derived the jutsu from. He repeatedly read its simple contents before tossing it away in annoyance. A rattling noise drew his interest, making him stoop to retrieve it. His fingers grasped the wooden end of the scroll, noticing finally a folded paper extension. He undid the rest of the scroll, revealing more of the ancient script.

"This jutsu can endanger the psyche of the user. If a twin remains separated from its user for a long duration and then returns, the user may notice that a "split-person" identity has developed. Emotions felt by the twin will be magnified, especially strong feelings such as hate or love."

This didn't particularly interest Sasuke; hate would only further his drive to defeat Itachi. He snorted at the thought of falling in love with the obnoxious Karin, and moved on to skim the rest of the contents.

"The twin has all the necessities and functions of a normal human being. However, it will not retain the capabilities and skills of its original body."

_Too late for that, _he thought in resentment.

"It also will not possess any of the original's unique traits or bloodline limits."

Sasuke dropped the scroll as if it had burned him. He immediately attempted to activate his Sharingan, but to no avail.

"Shit."

He would have to live the year without the Uchiha clan's kekkei genkai…

…

_one day ago_

…

Suigetsu, Juugo, and Sasuke were engaged in a tough training session. The Uchiha's anger was mounting as Suigetsu wouldn't stop gloating at his new superiority over the youth's prowess, inept as the twin's body was, and the lack of Sharingan didn't help. They were miles away from Sound – one, to avoid the investigators probably sifting through the ruins there, and two, to avoid Sasuke's original body behind the waterfall.

Sasuke had finally gained the upper hand and was punishing Suigetsu brutally when an explosion shook the earth. He glanced up, distracted, and was thrown back by the Mist-nin.

"Wait," he shouted in aggravation, scanning the horizon.

"It's just the thunder," Suigetsu pointed at the furious storm clouds, eager to continue the combat.

Sasuke shook his head and pulled himself up, narrowing his eyes at the smoke that emitted from the mountain tops in the distance – over the waterfall! Lightning or not, the explosion had struck something. Sasuke hurriedly snapped for the two to follow him back, panic all-consuming. If his real body was hurt, if it died, so would his twin's – and his psyche, his life, with it.

The missing-nin swore as they raced back to the valley. They skidded down the treacherous waterfall and masked their chakras on their slippery descent into the cavern. A wild check on his comatose body relieved Sasuke of his fears, though Karin was strangely absent.

_Where the hell is she? _He thought irritably.

"Hey, Uchiha, look at this!" Suigetsu called from the entrance.

Sasuke ducked his head out, peering through the mist, and his eyes widened.

Lightning illuminated the canyon momentarily; the mountainous walls were pitted with holes and craters still steaming from the impact of chakra. His eyes desperately spent the fading light in search of anything else, before they finally landed on a sprawled figure on the floor of the canyon. He rubbed his eyes. It couldn't be…

_Naruto?_

"Stay here," he ordered curtly. He jumped into the waterfall, regardless of the icy water prickling his skin. He ran on the water's surface towards the hauntingly bright figment of his adolescence.

It was him.

Sasuke stopped a few feet away, wondering at the familiarity of the scene.

It was Naruto, still clad in his obnoxious orange, but unconscious and bleeding. His injuries this time didn't seem life-threatening, but there they were – the waterfall, Sasuke, and Naruto. The missing-nin stood, resolving to harden his heart, kill the boy now, gain the Mangekyo (though it would sleep with his real body for a year), and leave.

Instead, he sighed and dropped to his knees.

"How did this happen?" he wondered aloud. "You shouldn't _be _here."

Turmoil struggled in the fifteen-and-a-half-years-old boy's heart – he was far too old and jaded to care, and yet far too young to _not_ – _and it was Naruto – _so Sasuke watched his old friend's unconscious face. The familiar Konoha headband still proudly worn, the laughing crescents of closed eyes, the stub nose and whiskered face – even the semblance of a smile was still there, despite being hurt and out cold.

_Damn it, I'm supposed to be able to kill you, _Sasuke sighed. _I can't hate you or Sakura – not now, and probably not ever._

He stood, wondering how the heck things ended up as they did. Meanwhile, he had to investigate the source of the explosion, and he was sure from the looks of the canyon and the unconscious jinchuuriki; it was not the lightning.

Another look at Naruto reassured Sasuke that the boy would be fine. He stepped over and jogged after the lingering trail of chakra.

_Why is this signature so…familiar? _He wondered, keeping his own chakra undetectable. The source of it was probably to worn out after the skirmish with Naruto to mask their own. The lightning stopped resounding as he followed it for another three miles down the river.

At the end of the trail, he stopped in his tracks, astounded for the second time of the day, more than he had ever been in his time with Orochimaru.

It began to rain, and Sasuke slowly blinked, trying to make sense of what he saw.

There, standing in the darkness, was his elder brother, and held in his arms, Haruno Sakura.

…

_Who is the traitor here? Me…? Or you...?_

…

_To be continued…_

_

* * *

_

**A bit of surprise, hm? I don't think there will be another chapter in Sasuke's POV, just sections. But just to clarify on the timeline if you are confused:**

**1. 7 Days before/day before end: Sasuke kills Orochimaru; Konoha finds Sound ruined**

**2. 6 Days before/the end: Sasuke sets up at the waterfall; Danzo's massacre occurs  
...Sasuke puts himself in the coma; Sakura promises to bring him back  
...Sasuke finds he can't use the Sharingan; Sakura takes the Sharingan**

**3. "Day 1-3" Sakura travels to village, then to Ame; Sasuke trains**

**4. "Day 4" Sakura rescue team goes to Ame, they fight; Sasuke trains**

**5. "Day 5" or "One day ago" Sakura fights Naruto; Sasuke trains  
...Sakura goes to find Itachi; Sasuke finds Naruto  
...End of chapter: Sasuke sees Sakura and Itachi**

**6. "Day 6" current time, where Sakura's POV picks up next chapter.**

**Confusing, I know, but please bear with me! (And review? :D) See you soon!**


End file.
